Since it's clear that I've been stuck in the 20th century for the last couple months, here's an A - Z of 80s videos so that maybe I can purge this inexplicable nostalgia and return to present-day existence. I tried to find live performances or "alternate" versions when available so that you're not stuck watching the same clips that have been in rotation on music video channels for the last 20-30 years.

ABC - Look of Love
Blancmange - Blind Vision
Captain Sensible - Wot
Devo - That's Good
Ēbn-Ōzn - AEIOU Sometimes Y
Falco - Der Kommissar
Go Gos - We Got The Beat
The Human League - Being Boiled
Irene Cara - What A Feeling
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Just Like Honey & Inside Me
Kraftwerk - Heimcomputer
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - Head To Toe
Midnight Star - Operator
New Order - Love Vigilantes
OMD - Electricity
Pete Burns - You Spin Me Round
Stacey Q - Two Of Hearts
Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me
Sparks - Cool Places
Tones On Tail - Go!
Ultravox - Sleepwalk
Visage - The Anvil
Kim Wilde - Kids In America
Trans X - Living On Video
Yazoo - Don't Go
ZZ Top - Gimme All Your Lovin'

After countless attempts by dr™ of trying to convince me to impart some of my vast musical knowledge by contributing to RobotSound™, I've finally decided to discuss one of my favorite dance music genres, New Beat. This was the sound created primarily by Belgian producers from '87 to '89 that forged a link between the EBM and Acid House of the mid-to-late 80s with the Rave/Hardcore Techno scene of the early 90's.

According to dance lore, New Beat was inadvertantly created when a deejay played an EBM 12", Flesh by A Split Second, at 33rpm instead of it's intended speed of 45rpm. Besides their slower tempo, New Beat hits were also characterized by their use of sexually explicit samples, especially those taken from NYC shock performance artist Karen Finley. After a couple years, New Beat morphed into the even shorter-lived Skizzo and Hard Beat sub-genres, which in turn were the precursors of early 90's Rave/Hardcore...

With that cursory introduction, I present:
Vodka Ed's Top 10 Jams of New Beat.

Warning: Some of the videos and/or corresponding audio may not be suitable for the workplace environment ;)

10. A Split Second - Flesh
Since this is the track that supposedly started the whole shebang, it's inclusion on the list is essential.

9. 101 - Move Your Body
One of the MANY projects of Praga Khan and friends. Though there were seemingly lots of different New Beat artists, in reality most output was created by two (or maybe three) groups of producers. This was 101's 2nd hit, after their anthemic Rock To The Beat, though I always thought this was the better track.

8. Moments of Ecstacy - You and Me
Another alias of Praga and crew. Like I said, they used LOTS of different names to make you THINK there was a whole scene.

7. Erotic Dissidents - Move Your Ass And Feel The Beat
This is the full 12" mix from the ultra-productive (one could even say robot-like) Morton-Sherman-Belucci, the New Beat equivalent of Hi-NRG's production whizzes Stock, Aitken & Waterman, who also brought us such classics as Shake Your Hips and Jack To The Air Of The Underwear.

6. Taste Of Sugar - Hmm Hmm
Some cheesy dancing here in another Morton-Sherman-Belucci production. Note the dancers are wearing proto-typical New Beat fashion. Many of these 12"s came with inserts where you too could mail order the clothes.

5. Space Opera - Mandate My Ass
This one gets included for the title alone. Some members of Space Opera included CJ Bolland, David Morley and R & S Records founder Renaat Vandepapeliere.

4. Technotronic Feat. Felly - Pump Up The Jam ("Live")
Easily the biggest and most instantly recognizable hit of the New Beat era. As everyone knows, Felly was just the blue-lipped lip-synching model, whose presence record execs felt would likely sell more records. In actuality, Ya Kid K was the uncredited singer/rapper. Here's the original video for a laugh (dig the fannypack).
I don't want a place to stay
Get your booty on the floor tonight
Make my day

3. Lords of Acid - I Sit On Acid
'88 + 303 = Sit on your face...I wanna sit on your face. Soulwax put out I Sit On Acid 2000, an electro remix a few years back.

2. Major Problem - Acid Queen
New Beat doesn't get much hotter than this. Perfect for your Robot S&M parties (don't ask me, dr™ asked me to include that line). Now I want you to get down on your hands and knees...

1. Miss Nicky Trax - Acid In The House
Don't ask me what pumping iron and women's wrestling have to do with this masterpiece of the genre. As part-time New Beat revivalist V/Vm so succinctly puts it, I Wanna Fuck Miss Nicky Trax.

Since I've been revisiting the golden years ['88 - '92] of House and Techno [plus a bit of Britpop and Trip Hop], it's only fitting that I include some visual evidence. Think of this post as a companion piece to last week's trip down nostalgia lane. I didn't include very much in the New Beat, Breakbeat or overtly Hardcore realms since that material can be the topic of several other posts. You'll definitely notice your Cheese Detector spike while watching some of this; keep in mind the era in which these clips were made. Nevertheless, I'm sure you'll agree that many of these tracks have rightfully earned their classic status and will forever be enshrined by old school ravers around the globe.

The Farm - Groovy Train
UHF - UHF [Yes, for a couple years there, Moby was cool.]
Utah Saints - What Can You Do For Me?
Renegade Soundwave - Biting My Nails
Fortran 5 - Heart On the Line
Baby Ford - Children of the Revolution
Njoi - Anthem [Watching Saffron lip-synch those samples just kills me.]
Bizarre Inc - Such A Feeling
808 State - In Yer Face
Beatmasters feat. Betty Boo - Hey DJ [Sorry, I had to include something by Ms. Boo, though I couldn't bring myself to post "Doin' the Do."]
The Beloved - Sun Rising
Electronic - Getting Away With It
Pet Shop Boys - So Hard
Blur - There's No Other Way
Lil' Louis - French Kiss [Easily the most bizarre video of the bunch. What the hell is this? I should probably include some kind of warning here.]
Massive Attack - Daydreaming

Jahcoozi - BLN
The Shamen - Hyperreal
The Orb - Vuja De
Colder - To The Music
Depth Charge - Han Do Jin 2
Jah Division - Dubmission
Banco de Gaia - Soufie
Higher Intelligence Agency - Speech 3 (Conoid Tone Reform by Autechre)
Shatner woo remix

Stereo - Somewhere In The Night
Baby's Gang - Challenger
Ganymed - Music Takes Me Higher
Stop - Wake Up
Kano - It's War
Chromatics - In the City
I-F - Secret Desire
Lifelike & Kris Menace - Discopolis

Tune In. Turn On. This Is Acid.
V/Vm - Anal Acid
Miss Nicky Trax - Acid In The House
808 State - In Yer Face
Hithouse - Jack to the Sound of the Underground
Lords of Acid - I Sit On Acid
Hardfloor - Acperience 1
DHS - Mind Control
Psychic TV - Joy
Fast Eddie - Acid Thunder
Luke Vibert - I Love Acid
Universal Indicator (Live 2007)
Aphex Twin - Windowlicker (Acid Edit)
Ceephax Acid Crew - Trolley Service
Gaye Bikers on Acid - After Suck There's Blow (Acid House Remix)
Josh Wink - Higher State of Consciousness 2007
Simian Mobile Disco - Tits & Acid (Live 2007)

Though I'm not sure I should even admit to liking something so pop-y (I can safely blame VodkaEd for this kind of thing), I feel strangely compelled to share this with you. Some of you may even hate me for introducing it to them, but what the hell, you know? I try to provide quality entertainment for robots, and this is mindlessly fun entertainment, if anything. Currently, my guilty pleasure is a "perfect" mash-up of an insanely catchy arpeggiated synth riff overladen with Princess Superstar's sassy sing-along raps that's got club anthem with huge crossover appeal written all over it. So, without further ado, here's the bouncy, titillating video for Mason vs. Princess Superstar - Perfect Exceeder.

Never before have I so wanted to be an exercise ball

For those of you who want to have another go, take a peek at the Princess' goodies at her online shop and pick up a copy of this on cd or wax...like I did (just don't tell anyone, ok?)